Sauna (2008)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Antti-Jussi Annila

Writer:

Iiro Küttner (written by)

Release Date:

24 lokakuu 2008 (Finland)

Genre:

History | Horror

Tagline:

Wash your sins.

Plot:

As a 25-year war between Russia and Sweden concludes, two brothers who are part of an effort to outline new border accords become undone by their actions, and their mistreatment of a young woman during their journey. |

Plot Keywords:

Border | Guilt | Swamp | Dark Secret | Faceless Man

Awards:

4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Ville Virtanen	...	Eerik
Tommi Eronen	...	Knut
Viktor Klimenko	...	Semenski
Rain Tolk	...	Rogosin
Kari Ketonen	...	Musko
Sonja Petäjäjärvi	...	Poika
Vilhelmiina Virkkunen	...	Tytär
Taisto Reimaluoto	...	Isäntä
Ismo Kallio	...	Kylänvanhin
Kati Outinen	...	Eukko
Dick Idman	...	Roukkula
Ivo Kubecka	...	Munkki
Elena Leeve	...	Isännän tyttären ääni (voice)
Elena Spirina	...	Rogosinin äidin tuutulaulu (voice)
Peter Holmlund	...	Ruotsalaisten tulkki

Also Known As:

Filth (International: English title) (pre-release title)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

Finland | Czech Republic

Language:

Finnish | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Finland

Company:

Bronson Club

Excellent Contemplative Horror

Having premiered his debut feature "Jade Warrior" at Toronto in 2006, A.J. Annila returned with his second film "Sauna", yet another blend of two unexpected genres. He was originally approached to make the movie as a teen slasher-comedy, but thankfully the producers had enough faith in him to make a serious horror movie that would appeal to both the art house crowd and die hard horror fans.

Sauna follows a group of Swedish and Russian soldiers who are assigning new borders after a decades long war between the two countries has ended. In this group are two brothers; Erik, the lifelong soldier who keeps a running tally of the innocent people he's killed, and Knut, the younger more pacifist brother who is part of the group because he is an expert mapmaker. After an unexpected encounter with a farmer and his daughter, the two are haunted by unshakable guilt as they continue with the expedition. The soldiers find a small isolated village in the very center of a large swamp, an eerie place where no children have been born in years and the old do not die. It seems almost as if God has forgotten them.

With the discovery of the village and its solitary sauna, Annila builds on the horror aspects of the film and presents some genuinely scary images. The review on the TIFF website says the film recalls both Tarkovsky and Eli Roth, and I agree; Sauna is at once contemplative and terrifying. It raises questions about morality and guilt, and at the same time has scenes that are as scary as a Japanese ghost horror. The acting from Ville Virtanen and Tommi Eronen, who played the brothers, was superb. The cinematography was was also really beautiful. Overall, I feel like this is one of the best horrors of the last few years and it is highly recommended. 8/10